Markl
by HoshiToTsuki
Summary: I was saved by Master Howl, from more things than one.I would find friendship, love, and a tender home in the castle-much prefered to my old one.My only regret: I have no one to call Mother, and no Father, and my baby sisters are left in that Hell.


A.N. I know that it's retarded in the current situation to even attempt writing another story, but I've been outta the field for too long. This is Markl's story, because he doesn't get enough credit... ever. So I need to make him a bigger part of things, and I've had this idea for a while. Enjoy, criticsm welcome.

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I wasn't abandoned, and I wasn't kidnapped. I was not hurt or in pain... at least not that people could see. Because I covered it up. I hid what happened behind a heavy, oak door from the outside world. I disguised it so that nobody could see the flaws of my existence, and frankly, nobody would care anyway.

My name is Markl Pendragon, and I was only six-years-old when I ran away from the Matchtuck family. I repent that name, now... it's no longer a part of me at all. I hate that clan of animals, if you really want to know. Of course, they're considered people by everyone else. Everyone besides myself and Master Howl. Howl is whose name I now take, and it took a lot of courage to ask permission for the use of it. He waved the question off so easily, a simple 'Sure' that had shocked me. For all the effort I had put into motivation to beg use of the name for myself... he didn't even think about it.

He didn't see the scars at first, I suppose. I was totally unconcious when the wizard found me, I'd run away from home on a bitter, frost-bitten night in early-spring. The wolves were hungry after a long and tedious winter... the only thing I remember of them was how their ribs seemed to stick out beneath drawn, rugged skin and matted fur. Matted with the blood of some other young boy they'd chosen to hunt earlier I supposed. My feet had pounded furiously against the dirt paths of the edges of town. I could see the mountains and open spaces not far off in the distance, and I could have run to them. But out there, nobody could help me, and I woulkd have had no chance of survival.

I screamed and screamed, looking for help from anyone in these dark homes; so early in the morning. But nobody came. I'm sure the chase only lasted a minute, because the small pack of only about four or five wolves out ran me quickly and I backed into a solid, brick wall. That's how I crumpled to the ground, bleeding from everywhere on my body. I have no idea how he found me, but he did... and I thank the Gods for it. He's been more than kind to me over the years and I have nothing to complain about. Nothing at all.

I woke up in a warm bed, still in my filthy attire, just the same as when I'd passed out. A clock ticked rhythymatically somewhere and I didn't bother to check. I allowed the soft sound to lull me back to sleep for a while. The rest was peaceful, black with no dreams to marr it. When I came to for good, I was able to take everything in more successfully. It seemed like a rich place, filthy, yes... but rich. There was an aura of power and hostility about the dwelling, and it probably came from the person whom inhabited it.

I managed to drag myself around the home for a little while before collapsing onto the hardwood floor of a long, brightly lit hallway. The light came only from the grime covered windows, flung wide open to let in the crisp March air. It cooled my skin, and I began to wonder in this heavenly atmospehere where, exactly, I was. I could only guess that it was a poor boy's version of Kingdom Come. That, it wasn't, but my arrow hit rather close to the mark.

My body was drained of all energy, lacking blood and nourishment. I don't know how long I lay there for, my body rising and falling with the steady breaths that filled me then. But my heaven was soon tarnished by the sound of footsteps, and I was sure that it was God or the Devil or some other out-of-this-world being come for my time of reckoning. He didn't look like God, and I screamed when I saw him. I recognized him at once, of course. I began to cry out for help and attempted to drag myself away with only my small hand on thin wrist and arm.

He hushed me and picked me up gently, trying to calm me down. I continued to ask why he'd brought me to his castle, was he going to kill me or keep me prisoner. He didn't answer, but shook his head and laughed as he strode to the end of the hall and kicked open a door to a disturbingly dirty bathroom. The tub was clean on the inside and was already filled with hot water. He handed me a towel and ordered that I get in the bath and clean myself up, I stunk more than his toilet bowl.

Of course he saw. He must have seen everything from the irritated scabs and purple bruises on my back, arms, legs, and neck. He asked me about those, too... Normally I would have lied and said it was only me and my brothers being stupid, but I was terrified and the truth spilled out of me like water from a faucet.

My father and mother beat me, I told him. They grow angry when I don't do as I'm told. They become upset if I don't tend to the home and the children, me being the oldest. I went without dinner most nights, seeing as I wasn't supposed to speak of the fact that none of us were related, my mother a prostitute... only acting as if she was a business woman and all these children were her husbands. My 'father' didn't care about any of that. He was a drunk on land and drunk at sea. A captain in the navy, he only came home very rarely. Nobody would suspect me, the innocent child of two, honest parents, to be running the house-hold. No one would ever know that I was beaten by the men my mother brought home. That I'd been attacked by a few, even, as my mother only watched on silently with nothing to say.

Howl had shook his head with sorrow and patted my head, apologizing for things he hadn't done.

'There's only one thing for it,' he shrugged. I looked at him with wide eyes, never expecting his suggestion. 'You will have to stay here, as my apprentice.'

And so it is to this day, the same story of learning magic and avoiding the royals; in times of peace and in times of war. That was how we both expected it to remain, only the two of us, untroubled by guests and only followed by rumors of mischief and women's hearts throughtout the lands we traveled. That was until she stumbled upon us... a young woman, cursed into an old hag's body. She's what would change our lives.

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A.N.2 Dark? Desolate? Unrealistic? It took me 20 minutes and whew, was there a lot of crap coming outta my head in that time!!! Please tell me what you thought of it. Once (if) I get 5 reviews I will continue.


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